186 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



much lighter in colour, and have the chestnut blotchiugs 

 more minute. 



The stomach is extremely muscular, and the food consists 

 of grasshoppers and other insects, seeds, &c. 



One of the most singular circumstances connected with the 

 history of this and the following species is the great difference 

 in the size of the sexes, the males being but little more than 

 half the size of the females. 



Head, ear-coverts, and all the upper sui'face chestnut-red ; 

 the crown of the head in some "specimens has a longitudinal 

 mark of buff down the centre ; the feathers of the back, rump, 

 scapularies, and sides of the chest margined with buff, within 

 which is a narrow line of black running in the same direction; 

 the feathers of the lower part of the back are also crossed by 

 several narrow irregular bands of black; primaries light brown, 

 margined with buff on their internal edges ; throat, chest, and 

 flanks sandy buff, passing into white on the abdomen ; bill 

 horn-colour ; irides straw-white ; legs and feet yellowish white. 



Total length 5^ inches ; bill ^ ; wing 3 ; tarsi f . 



The above is the description of a female : the male has the 

 feathers on the sides of the chest conspicuously margined 

 with buff. 



Sp. 484. TURNIX PYRRHOTHORAX, Gould. 



Red-chested Turnix. 



Hemipodius pyrrhothorax, Gould 'in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part viii. 

 p. 150. 



Hemipodius pyrrohothorax Gould, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. v. 

 pi. 86. 



But little is known respecting the Swift-flying Turnix, 

 and even less information has been obtained respecting the 

 history of the present species, which, although assimilating to 

 the former in some of its characters, differs from it in the 

 markings of the face and neck, and in the rufous colouring of 



